THE HUNGER GAMES: Peeta's Perspective
by zehungergamesx
Summary: How does the world look like to Peeta?
1. Chapter 1

THE HUNGER GAMES: PEETA'S PERSPECTIVE

-all credits to SUZANNE COLLINS :) x

-please review, and yeah i'm just new at this sooo :) sorry if it's bad.

I wake up from some dream, but as usual, I couldn't remember any part of it. I stand up wobbly and look at the mirror. "It's the reaping today," I think. I blink twice, trying to wake myself up from this sleepy state.

I walk to our bakery, where I have to bake a dozen or two cakes, or bake some bread. I smile at the workers there, then at my family. I see my brothers working already, up so early in the morning. Wait, this is unusual. Oh yeah, it's reaping day. We can't afford to be late later.

"Hey, Peeta! Bake seven loaves of bread, will you?" My mom screamed at me. I just went to my station and started rolling dough. I was feeling pretty nervous as I worked. What if I get picked? But it's a one in a million chance, since my name was just there once. Oh, whatever. There are like thousands of boys left, how could it be me?

After baking those loaves of bread, I went back to the house. I sat on the couch, and stared at the wall. Then I had an idea for my new painting. I decided to paint some flowers, when I heard footsteps. "Oh, they're coming," I think.

I went out and saw them with their smiling faces, unlike how I was awhile ago. I hurried in again to dress up. I had to prepare for the reaping. I looked at myself in the mirror. Breathe in, breathe out. It's okay, Peeta. After that, I didn't worry too much.

We all walked together to the town square, without any words. Only me and my brother are eligible to be picked, since only children from 12-18 are part of it. The ones too young or too old are excluded.

I glance at everyone in the town square. It wasn't even time yet, until after about an hour, but there were thousands of people already there. Some looked worried, some were smiling and laughing. I didn't know what to feel.

Wait, I guess you're wondering already what the reaping's about, right?

Reaping, reaping for the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games. Ugh, even just the thought of it makes me shiver. Oh, that yearly "celebration" - from what the Capitol calls it - to show that the Capitol owns us..and is much more powerful than all of the 12 districts combined.

About 75 years ago..the Dark Days happened. All of the 13 districts helped each other to fight against the Capitol. What happened?

Well, the 13th district was diminished, and left us wounded, hurt, and DEFEATED. Every year, the Capitol has the hunger games, where each district sends 2 tributes - one boy and one girl - to be in it..to kill each other until one is left..the victor, the winner.

The victor receives a house in the Victor's Village, and about a lifetime's supply of food and everything you need. Only one victor from District 12 is still alive..which is Haymitch.

Anyways, I saw Effie arrive. She walks on the stage, all bouncy and excited. I don't know and don't _want _to know what's so nice about all of this. We're about to pick the names of those people who are about to sacrifice their lives just for entertainment.

Effie says some stuff too fast, so I'm sure nobody really understands her. She's like this every year, we're used to this. Then she walks over to the case with the names of the girls. Got the paper, and opened it dramatically. Then she reads out loud, "Primrose Everdeen."


	2. Chapter 2

There was dead silence.

Then more.

Then murmurs.

Then silence once again.

Until someone decided to finally break the ice.

Katniss Everdeen, Prim's sister. She protests and breaks away as the guards try to stop her from ruining anything. Then, unexpectedly, she screams, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute."

Effie smiles, and exclaims, "How exciting! We've never had a volunteer in such a long time. This day is so unusual."

Prim was led back down, when Katniss was ushered up to the stage. At that time, Haymitch congratulated her, and said, "Look at her! Look at this one! I like her. Lots of...spunk! More than you!" while directly pointing at the camera.

Effie straightened her wig while she walked to the case with the names of the boys. I could tell she was pissed at the way her wig wasn't cooperating. Then she puts her hand in the case and opens the first paper she encounters.

She read, "Peeta Mellark".

There was dead silence once again, and I realized that was me, Peeta Mellark.

I walked up to the stage, keeping a straight face. Effie asks for volunteers, but no one actually dares to step forward. My other brother's too old, and my other one probably won't.

Effie looks so happy, while the audience looked so grim..so sad. I glanced at my father, my mother, my siblings..my family. I was the baker's son, and I lived a life better than the most of the people in District 12, or people that were part of the Seam.

People in the Seam were sick and tired..sick of not having anything to eat. You can see it in their eyes that they couldn't stand it anymore, but have no choice but to live on.

I glance at Katniss, and she looks back..like she can sense if I'm looking at her or not. But she immediately turns away.

Now, the mayor's reading the long Treaty Treason as he does every year..but I see that Katniss isn't listening, and neither do I.

When it finishes, he motions me and Katniss to shake hands. I look her right in the eye and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. We turn to face the crowd as the anthem of Panem plays.

When it ends, we were led to the door of the Justice Building. We were each conducted to a room, alone. I notice it's full of materials made of velvet..I have to prepare myself for the next hour, the next hour from which we would have to say our final goodbyes.

I had to say goodbye to my mom, my dad, and my two brothers, crying our eyeballs out, mournfully saying how much we love each other, wishing me good luck.

We stay like this for a while, until the Peacekeeper orders them to leave. My father takes a last glance back, and I guess that's the last time I'll ever see them. I was there, all alone in the room. Thinking to myself. What if I don't win? What if I don't get back?

But, my thoughts are disturbed by Effie calling us for supper. She led me to the dining room, and I sat, leaving a seat beside me empty for Katniss. Effie left, to get Katniss..I guess.

When they arrived, Katniss sat beside me, then Effie brightly asked where Haymitch was. I said, "Last time I saw him, he said he was going to take a nap." Effie replied, "Well, it's been an exhausting day." Well now, I'm guessing I'm not the only one who's relieved that Haymitch is not around..for a while.

Supper is served, a thick carrot soup, green salad, lamb chop and mashed potatoes, cheese and fruit, a chocolate cake. I've never had food this good, usually I'd just get burnt bread, leftovers from the sales.

Effie remarked on how our manners were, then compared us to the tributes last year - who never had enough to eat, so probably manners would be the last thing on their minds. I see Katniss' reaction to Effie's comment, that she eats the rest of her meal with her fingers, then wipes her hand on the tablecloth.

I ate everything, and I guess my body just wasn't use to this...luxury. After supper, we go to another room to watch the recaps of the reapings across Panem.

I register some people in my mind, like the boy from District 2, with vengeance in his eyes, I wonder why. The gigantic looking man from District 11. And a girl who kind of looks like a fox, from District 5. Then they show us, District 12. How Katniss volunteered for her sister, and Haymitch's drunk behavior.

Effie's more focused on her hair though, but still says something about it. "Your mentor has a lot to learn about presentation," she says. I laugh, and I don't know why. It was an unexpected laugh. I said, "He was drunk. He's drunk every year." Katniss adds, "Every day." Then she smiles.

Effie hisses at us, "How odd you two find it amusing. Your mentor is your lifeline to the world in these Games, he advises you, lines up your sponsors and dictates the presentation of any gifts. Haymitch is well, the difference between your life and your death!"

At that moment, Haymitch suddenly appears in the room, saying, "I miss supper?" in a slurred voice. Then he vomits...all over the expensive carpet and falls in the mess. Effie, as expected, hops in her shoes around to vomit and leaves the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The smell of it almost brings my food up again. Me and Katniss exchange a glance, and she feels the same thing. But Effie's right..once we're in the arena, Haymitch is our only hope. He's all we've got.

We help him up to his feet, while he says, "I tripped? Smells bad." He wipes his hand on his face, covering his face with vomit. I offered to go back to the room, and clean him up a bit. We did, and Katniss' nose wrinkles in disgust as we haul him in the bathtub and turn the shower on him.

I said, "It's okay, I'll take it from here." Her expressions changes to gratitude, and says "All right. I can send one of the Capitol people to help you." I replied, "No, I don't want them." She nods, and leaves. While giving Haymitch a bath, I can't help but wonder what happened to him.

He won the 50th Hunger Games, or the Quarter Quell at the age of sixteen. He had the fame, the fortune, everything. What happened? Why is he like this? Alone..always drunk. Why? Then suddenly, Haymitch says some words which make no sense. I help him up from the bath tub, and dress him up to prepare to sleep. He wobbly walks out of my room to get to his own.

I automatically went on my bed..I wasn't that ready to sleep somewhere far, far away from home, but it was a somewhat comfortable night's sleep.

The next day, the first thing I hear is, "Wake up! UP!" Probably Effie. "It's going to be a busy day!"

I go to the dining car, seeing Haymitch with his face puffy and red, chucking. I sit down and notice Katniss wasn't there yet. I grab a roll, and start to eat.

After a few minutes, Katniss arrives, and Haymitch immediately screams, "Sit down! Sit down!" And when she does, food is served. Eggs, potatoes, ham, all kinds of fruits. And juices, cups of coffee, hot chocolate. All things you can imagine, or what they call "Capitol Food." Neither of any of the districts never get to taste this kind of luxury.

Katniss and I finish the hot chocolate at the same time. There was dead silence until Katniss said, "You're supposed to give us advice." Haymitch said, "Here's some advice. Stay alive." I said, "That's very funny." Then I lashed the glass in his hand, and let it shatter on the floor. "Only not to us."

Haymitch stares at it for a moment, then punches me in the jaw, knocking me off my chair. I fight back, until Katniss drives a knife into the table between Haymitch's hand and another bottle. Katniss protects herself to defend herself from Haymitch's next hit, but it doesn't come.

Instead he sits and squints at us, and says, "Well, what's this? Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?" I rise from the floor with ice from the fruit tureen. I put it unto the red mark on my jaw. Haymitch put my hand down and said, "Let the bruise show. The audience would think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you even made it to the arena." "That's against the rules," I say.

Haymitch said, "Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better." He turns to Katniss and says, "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"

Katniss got the knife, then threw it against the wall across the room. It lands in the seam between two panels, and I realized Katniss was far better than I am. Haymitch orders us to stand before him, checking our muscles, examining our faces, and says, "Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit, and once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough."

Katniss and I knew that the Hunger Games wasn't a beauty contest, but the best-looking tributes get the most out of sponsors.

"All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you," says Haymitch. "But you have to do exactly what I say." I said, "Fine." while Katniss said, "So help us. When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone-" and Haymitch replied, "One thing at a time. In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist." Katniss protests, "But-" Haymitch silenced her, "No buts. Don't resist." He takes the bottles from the table and leaves.


	4. Chapter 4

It's pitch dark, night has fallen again. We stand in silence as the train speeds on. Finally, it begins to slow after a while and it suddenly become bright again.

Katniss runs to the window, and I see why she looks so excited. I see the Capitol, the ruling city of Panem. High buildings with rainbow colors, backgrounds looking too artificial. The indigo colors were too dark, while the greens were too light.

People from outside began looking and pointing at us as they see our train going in their city. I see Katniss step away, but I don't. I smile, and wave at the crowd. I catch Katniss staring at me and I shrugged and said, "Who knows? One of them may be rich."

I turned away as Effie called us to go down. Going to the Remake Center, where we'd be remade, and cure all our imperfections to look our best at the interview.

My prep team's been talking nonstop while doing something to my body, and I saw my stylist, after a while. Her name was Portia, her hair was like how the Capitol people would be like.

Then I saw Katniss' stylist, his name was Cinna. He wasn't like the rest, the closest thing he had to the people in the Capitol was his gold eyeliner, and the rest was just a black suit and pants. He looked pretty normal, like us.

Then after taking a glimpse at me, Portia dressed me up in a simple black unitard, with boots up to my knees. With a cape made of streams of orange, yellow and red and a headpiece that matches the costume. I went down to the bottom level of the Remake Center, which is basically a gigantic stable.

I saw Katniss with the same costume, and we were led to a chariot with four horses. Katniss whispered to me, "What do you think? About the fire?" "I'll rip off your cape if you'll rip off mine," I said through gritted teeth. "Deal," she says.

While I was thinking of more strategies to get less severe burns, Katniss said, "I know we promised Haymitch we'd do exactly what they said, but I don't think he considered this angle."

"Where is Haymitch anyway? Isn't he supposed to protect us from this sort of thing?" I replied.

Katniss rolled her eyes. "With all that alcohol in him, it's probably not advisable to have him around an open flame."

Then we both laugh, unexpectedly. Maybe 'cause we're just really tensed and all.

I hear the opening music start…well, of course. Its volume's probably at the highest. I see doors open, then I see the crowds outside of it.

We're on the chariot for more or less twenty minutes, then we stop at the City Circle. I didn't really pay attention to the other tributes, though.

But I knew that the ones from District 1 would look really good, also the ones from District 2. We all knew that.

As the District 11 tributes pass, Cinna climbs up our chariot and lights our capes on fire with a lighted torch. I was surprised, and kinda scared, but I didn't feel a thing.

It starts a fire, and I have to admit, we look beautiful. It really pumped up our costume.

He jumps off our chariot and was saying something I couldn't understand to Katniss. Katniss asks me what he was saying, and I look at Cinna again. Oh, wait. He was telling us to hold hands.

"I think he said for us to hold hands," I say. I hold her right hand, and we look at Cinna. He gave us a big thumbs up, then sunlight was shaded as we enter the city.


	5. Chapter 5

People were cheering for us, "District 12!" Everyone's looking at us, I feel nervous. Then I looked up, and smiled. I have to look good and friendly to everyone, as my costume is so magnificent. The flame is still burning.

Katniss starts waving to the crowd, and when she almost fell, she held on to me tighter. I guess I was still frozen.

The music was loud, but the screams and cheers by the people were louder. I was overwhelmed as I saw our picture on the big screen that was shown to the whole city. I start calming down, and I start to wave at the crowd too.

"Katniss!" "Peeta!" went the chants of the crowds. Someone even throws Katniss a red rose. Someone also throws me a red rose, and I got startled. I didn't expect that.

We arrive at the City Circle, then Katniss lets go of my hand. But I said, "No, don't let go of me. I might fall out of this thing." I kinda like the way she holds my hand. She nods.

The president starts giving a speech. I stare at the faces of the tributes which we have to kill when we're in the arena. Some looked intense, some looked soft. I don't know if that's who they really are, though.

It's getting darker and darker..I realize how much our costume stands out from all of this. The camera even focused on our chariot the most when we turn around the city circle one last time. Thanks to Cinna.

As we enter the Training Centre, we saw our prep teams once again, and they mutter so much stuff that I couldn't even understand half of them. They were about praising us for our performance, though.

The tributes' faces have changed. The ones who looked soft awhile ago, are now looking in our way intensely. Some are shooting us mean looks. Guessing we've been the best ones out of them all.

Cinna and Portia helped us when we were going down the chariot, as they remove our cape and headdresses, then they extinguish them with some chemical from a bottle or a canister.

Katniss suddenly lets go of my hand, then I automatically massaged it. I thanked her for holding me since I was a little shaky there.

She said, "It didn't show. I'm sure no one noticed."

"I'm sure they didn't notice anything but you," I said. "You should wear flames more often; they suit you."

I smile at her sweetly and she gives a kiss on the cheek. Again, I was startled. Then I smiled again. She's beautiful, I realize. I'm just hoping I wouldn't be the one to kill her in the arena. Even that she won't be killed.

That she'll be the winner.


	6. Chapter 6

The Training Center's a tall tower for the tributes and their prep teams, stylists, etc. This is gonna be the place where we'll stay, eat and rest. Train for the Games too.

We each have our own floor. Just go on the elevator, and press the number of your district, and you'll go to your district's floor. We went on the elevator, then I observed it.

Made of crystal. Beautiful. Better than anything in District 12. Well, what did I expect? This is the Capitol. The Ruling City of Panem.

The three of us, Effie, Katniss, and I stand in silence. Haymitch is gone again, ugh. Drinking again, I guess. Then Effie breaks the ice by going on and on by how good our entrance was and all.

She says something on how we attracted the crowd. When they saw that Katniss sacrificed herself for her sister, all heads were turned to us. Then, they saw our costumes. How we changed the thoughts of people about our district..District 12, the lowly one. Now with us around, they won't be thinking that way for a while.

Then, she talks about the sponsors. I don't really listen though, Effie's been talking all day. I don't really mind her anymore.

The elevator opens.

Our floor's so wide, even bigger than most of the houses in District 12. I enter my quarter. Amazed once again. They look like the ones in the train car, but way bigger. The bedroom's almost five times my room at home. The shower has so much buttons, too. "Oh, the luxury here, "I think.

I sit on my bed. Think. Okay, I'm gonna start training tomorrow. Scared, but excited at the same time. Then I look at my quarters again. Stare at everything..realizing I've only got days left before I get killed.

I'm thinking negative, I know. But what's the best I can do? Hope? That will only put me in to over confidence. What's wrong with me?

As usual, Effie disturbs my thoughts. "Peeta! Time for dinner!"

I walk to the dining room, but I don't go directly to the tables. I join Cinna and Portia as they stand on a balcony that has an astounding view of the whole Capitol.

I stare at everything, from tall buildings to the small artificial trees, to the least to the most colorful houses. Oh, this city.

Cinna tells me, "Follow me," We walk through a flight of stairs, and arrive in a dome-shaped room. There's a door in the middle that leads to the outside. It felt cold and

quiet there.

I asked him, "Why do they let us go here? Well, we might just go jump and escape."

He said, "No, there's an electric field that throws you back. This place is good for privacy and all. Anyways, probably they're all there, so let's go back." 

So we went back to the dining room, and after a while, we notice Katniss come in, so we all go to the table and sit down. Someone offers us wine, and we all take a glass.

Haymitch arrived when dinner was being served to each table. He looked neat, to be honest. Not his usual self. He prepared for this? Maybe to make up for his last appearance last night.

As expected, the food tasted as delicious as it looked. The meat was perfectly cooked, as well as the vegetables. The beverages, well the wine, tasted like heaven. Just because this was like the first or even second time I've ever tasted wine. I don't drink much, though.

Someone puts a big cake infront of us. Katniss talks to the girl serving it, "What makes it burn? Is it alcohol?" Then she simply takes a look on the girl's face and says, "Wait! Hey! I know you!" Everyone stayed silent then the girl left. Effie spoke up. "Don't be ridiculous, Katniss. How could you possibly know an Avox?"

"What's an Avox?" Katniss asked. Funny, I was wondering the same thing. I thought she knew, though. "Someone who committed a crime. They cut her tongue so she can't speak," Haymitch replied. "You're not supposed to speak to them too unless it's to give an order," Effie added.

I see the confusion on Katniss face, so I say, "Delly Cartwright," snapping my fingers. "That's who it is! I kept thinking she looked familiar as well. Then I realized she's a dead ringer for Delly."

Oh, who's Delly? She's a really kind girl from our district. And no, she doesn't in an way look like the Avox she was talking about. But I had to save Katniss from that.

"Of course, that's who I was thinking of. It must be the hair," Katniss played with it. "Something about the eyes, too," I said.

Everyone calms down. "Oh, well. If that's all it is," says Cinna. He also answers Katniss' question, that the cake has some spirits, but all the alcohol has been burned off, that he ordered it in honor of her fiery debut.

We eat the cake, then move into some room where we'll watch the replay of the opening ceremonies.


	7. Chapter 7

We watch while questions are asked.

Like, Haymitch asking about whose idea was the hand holding. Portia answered that it was Cinna.

Haymitch nodded and said, "Just the perfect touch of rebellion; very nice." I was startled when Haymitch said that at first, but then I remember seeing the tributes awhile ago during the speech of the president, and they weren't talking to one another. They didn't show any interest in each other, like they don't care at all.

Me and Katniss had some kind of connection that the audience has seen, unlike them.

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it. Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk," says Haymitch to Katniss and me.

So we walk back to our rooms, in silence until we reach Katniss' room. I stop her before she gets in. "So, Delly Cartwright. Imagine finding her lookalike here," I say. I was positive she was going to give me an explanation for that incident that happened a while ago. But, I see that she won't, cause I see her face both expresses confusion and hesitation.

So I opened up a new topic, "Have you been on the roof yet?" She shakes her head. "Cinna showed me. You can practically see the whole city. The wind's a bit loud, though." Though I mean this as a place where we can talk privately.

She replies stubbornly. "Can we just go up?"

"Sure, come on," I say. I walk up the stairs that lead to the place that I'm talking about. That roof. Since we're from District 12, we get the top floor, which makes it easier to get up to that place.

It was really, really windy and cold, again. Both of us look out to the Capitol. It looks very bright at night, since they can get all the electricity they could get. It's never this bright, in our district. Probably this is like a hundred times brighter. What do you expect from the capitol?

We walk to the edge of the roof. Katniss looks down the building as I talk, "I asked Cinna why they let us up here. Weren't they worried that some of the tributes might decide to jump right over the side? But then, you can't." I put out my hand, and jerk it away when I felt something electrifying me. "Some kind of electric field throws you back on the roof."

"Always worried about our safety," Katniss says sarcastically. Then she asks, "Do you think they're watching us now?"

"Maybe," I admit. "Come see the garden,"

We walk to the other side of the dome, with so much flower beds, and pots of different kinds of plants. It looked good, actually. But didn't blend in that much with the rest of the Capitol.

I look at Katniss with hope on my face.

Katniss held a flower, and she started talking. "We were hunting in the woods one day. Hidden, waiting for game."

"You and your father?"

"No, my friend Gale. Suddenly, all the birds stopped singing at once. Except one. As if it were giving a warning call. And then we saw her. I'm sure it was the same girl. A boy was with her. Their clothes were tattered. They had dark circles under their eyes from no sleep. They were running away as if their lives depended on it." 

Then Katniss stayed silent. I'm thinking that she's trying to remember every little detail about that day. I was glad that she's finally gonna tell me.

"The hovercraft appeared out of nowhere, I mean, one moment the sky was empty, and the next it was there. It didn't make a sound, but they saw it. A net dropped down on the girl and carried her up, fast, so fast like the elevator. They shot some sort of spear through the boy. It was attached to a cable and they hauled him up as well. But I'm certain he was dead. We heard the girl scream once. The boy's name, I think. Then it was gone, the hovercraft. Vanished into thin air. And the birds began to sing again, as if nothing happened."


End file.
